Gratitude check scam targets young men in Clarksville

Three people have reported being scammed by a man asking for help getting to Nashville to see his hospitalized wife.

In three reports taken between Oct. 18 and Nov. 28, victims said a man approached them asking for $20 to $40 so he could travel to Nashville to see his wife, who had recently been taken there by emergency services, according to a Clarksville Police news release.

As a form of gratitude, he promised each of them a check for $800. In each incident, the man and the victim met and deposited the check. Immediately after depositing it, the man asked for another $200 to $300. Each victim later discovered that the $800 check was worth only $1.

All three victims were young men between the ages of 19 and 22.

The suspect was described as a middle-aged, bald, black male going by the name "Todd Dakota."

Two incidents occurred between the 2400 and 2900 blocks of Fort Campbell Boulevard, and the other in the 2500 block of Wilma Rudolph Boulevard.

Anyone who observes this or a similar scam should contact the Clarksville Police Department at 931-648-0656.